KR102213309B1 - Transcranial electric stimulator - Google Patents

Abstract

A transcranial electrical stimulator according to the present invention relates to a transcranial DC stimulator for giving electrical stimulation by being worn on a user′s head, wherein the transcranial DC stimulator comprises: a main body having a built-in electric current generator; and a fixing band with an adjustable length coupled to both sides of the main body, wherein the main body has a band shape curved to one side so as to be in contact with the user′s forehead.

Description

Transcranial electric stimulator

The present invention relates to a non-invasive nerve stimulator, and more particularly, to a transcranial electric stimulator device applicable to the head.

Non-surgical brain stimulation is a method of locally stimulating the scalp without using surgical therapy to treat brain diseases, such as transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

In particular, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a method of non-invasive brain stimulation that stimulates neurons in the cerebral cortex with a weak direct current by attaching electrodes to the head. In the transcranial direct current stimulation method, a patch-shaped anode (Anodlec) and a cathode (Cathode) are attached to the scalp, and a constant current flows non-invasively. This electrical stimulation method is known to be effective in improving brain function by regulating the active state of the cranial nerves, improving cognitive ability, and treating mental disorders such as depression and addiction symptoms (Junwon Kim, Jaewon Lee. (2016). Department of Mental Health Medicine) Of transcranial direct current stimulation in Korean Neuropsychiatric Association 2016;55(3):158-167).

In the conventional transcranial DC stimulation device as shown in FIG. 6, an electric signal generator for generating fine DC electricity, an electrode pad for applying a current from the electric signal generator to the human body through a cable, and an electrode pad are specified for the head. It consists of a fixing part to keep it fixed in position. The fixing part for attaching the electrode pad to the skin of the head uses a band made of a whole fibrous material or a rigid frame having a predetermined shape.

In the case of the whole band method as shown in FIG. 6, it is possible to wear customized according to the size and shape of each user's head. This is not good. In addition, as time passes, the electrode is not fixed and the phenomenon of moving away from the desired attachment position is likely to occur. As a result, it is difficult to expect an appropriate electrical stimulation effect because a microcurrent is not applied to the correct position.

On the other hand, in the case of the rigid fixed frame method, there is a limitation in responding to the user's various scalp curved shapes and sizes, so it is difficult to securely adhere the electrode pads. In other words, the electrode pad fixed to the fixed frame must be in close contact with the user's skin to apply current to the human body through the electrode pad, but the fixed frame itself does not exactly fit the various bends or sizes of the head, so the electrode pad is difficult to contact the skin. It was difficult. In order to solve this problem, there have been attempts such as separately providing a complex electrode pad coupling structure in the fixed frame, but it is difficult to achieve the expected effect and raises the manufacturing cost.

In addition, looking at the conventional device in more detail with reference to FIG. 6, the electrode pad of a general transcranial direct current stimulation device has a structure in which a sponge sufficiently soaked in physiological saline (electrolyte) is accommodated in a conductive silicone case, and the current is an electrical stimulation generator. , Cable, conductive silicone, wet sponge, and sponge are applied to the two through the scalp in close contact. In this case, not only should the sponge be sprinkled with physiological saline (electrolyte) every time the device is used to allow current to flow, and as the number of uses increases, the electrode pads are continuously replaced because current does not flow due to changes in the properties of the conductive silicone case. need. Moreover, since it is difficult to accurately know the time point of the change in physical properties, the user may feel local stimulation or pain during transcranial stimulation due to the increase in resistance of the conductive silicon. There is a need to replace the bonding structure of the sponge and the conductive silicon with a more convenient one.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical stimulation device capable of stably maintaining close contact between a skin and an electrode patch of an electric stimulator while being able to respond to various head shapes of a user by solving the problems of the conventional devices described above.

In addition, the present invention is to provide an electrical stimulation device that is excellent in ease of use and that the electrode patch can be stably adhered to the application site and at the same time reduce manufacturing cost.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new structure that solves the problem that a conductive body that fixes and supports a sponge containing an electrolyte loses its conductivity due to repeated use and cannot be used.

In order to achieve the object as described above, the transcranial direct current stimulator for giving electrical stimulation by wearing on the user's head according to the present invention includes: a main body including an electric current generator and an electric stimulation generating unit; And a length adjustable fixing band coupled to both sides of the main body. It is preferable that the main body has a band shape curved to one side so as to contact the user's forehead. That is, the main body has a curved band shape to correspond to the shape of the user's head.

The transcranial DC stimulator may further include an electrode patch detachably coupled to the body.

In addition, the main body is a holder, a cover part that is coupled to one side of the holder to form a housing that holds the electrical stimulation generating unit therein together with the holder, and is coupled to the other side of the holder to wear the transcranial DC stimulator. It may include an inner cover in contact with the user's skin. It is preferable that the holder and the cover part are made of a rigid material, preferably a plastic material, have an electrical stimulation generating part with a certain strength, and absorb external force by an inner cover in close contact with the holder, but maintain the fixing force for the electrode patch.

The inner cover is made of a non-conductive elastic material or a non-conductive foam, capable of changing shape or absorbing external force, and is preferably made of non-conductive silicone.

An electrode patch may be attached to the inner cover to form an attachment terminal for electrical connection. It is preferable that the attachment terminal includes a seat plate for seating the electrode patch.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the transcranial electric stimulator is worn on a user's head to provide electric stimulation, comprising: a main body having an electric stimulation generating unit; And a length-adjustable fixing band coupled to both sides of the body, wherein the body has a band shape curved to one side so as to contact the user's forehead.

The transcranial electric stimulator according to an aspect of the present invention is capable of responding to various types of head of a user and stably maintains close contact between the skin and the patch of the electric stimulator.

In addition, the transcranial electric stimulator according to an aspect of the present invention is excellent in ease of use, while the electrode patch can be stably maintained in close contact with the application site, and manufacturing cost can be reduced.

1 is a perspective view of a transcranial DC stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view as viewed from the rear of the transcranial DC stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a perspective view showing a state in which an electrode patch is attached to a transcranial DC stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is an exploded perspective view of a transcranial DC stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a cross-sectional view of a transcranial DC stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a view showing a wearing state of a conventional band type transcranial DC stimulator.

Hereinafter, a transcranial electric stimulator will be described as the best embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this process, the thickness of the lines or the size of components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of description. In addition, terms to be described later are terms defined in consideration of functions in the present invention, which may vary according to the intention or custom of an operator or operator. Therefore, definitions of these terms should be made based on the contents throughout the present specification.

1 is a perspective view of a transcranial DC stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the transcranial DC stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention is worn on the user's head and has a shape that is easy to be worn on the user's head. The transcranial DC stimulator 1 has a band-shaped body 10 curved to one side so as to contact the user's forehead and a fixing band 20 that is coupled to both sides of the body 10 to fix the body 10 to the user's forehead. ). The electrode patch may be attached to and detached from the inside of the body 10 that is concave and curved, and receives current from the body 10 to apply electrical stimulation to the user's skin. Hereinafter, when the DC stimulator is worn on the head, the direction in contact with the forehead is viewed as the inner side of the body 10 and the opposite direction is viewed as the outer side.

The main body 10 is a device incorporating an electric stimulation generating unit and is formed to be curved so that the inside is concave and the outside is convex. The transcranial DC stimulator 1 may be worn in accordance with the shape of a general user's head due to the curved band shape of the body 10. In this case, the radius of curvature of the main body 10 is preferably formed by the average forehead curvature radius of users. The outer surface of the body includes an outer cover and an inner cover as the cover portion 130, and the inner surface of the body 10 includes an inner cover 100 as a skin contact surface. The inner cover 100 may be made of a material having non-conductive elasticity and flexible properties in order to facilitate the user's close contact with the body 10 to their head and to allow current to flow in a concentrated area (electrode part). . In addition, the electrode patch is attached to the inner side of the main body 10 and is positioned between the inner side of the main body 10 and the user's scalp when the transcranial DC stimulator 1 is mounted on the user's head. On the other hand, the transcranial DC stimulator 1 is driven by an electric stimulation generating unit, and the electric stimulation generating unit may be operated by a switch 150. Details will be described later.

The fixing band 20 is connected to the body 10 and is configured to be worn by the user on the head. When the transcranial DC stimulator 1 is worn on the user's head, the fixing band 20 may be fixed to the size of the user's head through length adjustment. The fixing band 20 may be coupled to the body 10 in various ways such as adhesion and screwing, and may be detachable, but it is not necessarily detachable. In addition, the fixing band 20 may be made of a flexible material, for example, a rubber material or a fiber material so as to correspond to the shape of the user's head. The fixing band 20 may be composed of two bands, and one end of each band is coupled to the side end of the main body 10, and a fastening part is formed at the other end of the band, and the fastening part 21 of each band is mutually coupled. Is configured to

2 is a perspective view of a transcranial DC stimulator as viewed from the rear according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which an electrode patch is attached to the transcranial DC stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIGS. 2 to 3, an electrode patch and a transcranial DC stimulator are schematically disclosed.

2 to 3, the body of the transcranial DC stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention is coupled to an electric stimulation generating unit, a holder, and one side of the holder to hold the electric stimulation generating unit therein together with the holder. It includes a cover part 130 forming a housing. The electrical stimulation generation unit is implemented as a printed circuit board (PCB) in which a circuit for generating a direct current from the power supply unit and transmitting a fine current of a certain intensity to the electrode unit for a predetermined period of time (see FIG. 5).

The holder is made of a general plastic material, and a seating portion is formed in a portion thereof to mount the electric stimulation generating unit 124, and a rechargeable battery unit (secondary battery, 126) is connected to the electric stimulation generating unit 124.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it further includes an inner cover 100 that is coupled to the other side of the holder to contact the user's skin when the transcranial DC stimulator is worn.

The inner cover 100 is preferably made of a non-conductive elastic material, particularly non-conductive silicone. An electrode patch 300 is attached to the inner cover 100 to form an attachment terminal 110 for electrical connection.

That is, the inner cover 100 is configured to surround the holder from the inside, and is physically and electrically connected to the electric stimulation generating unit held in the housing formed by the holder and the cover unit 130 to physically and electrically connect the electrode patch 300 , It further includes an attachment terminal 110 electrically connected. The electrical stimulation generating unit is provided in a space between the cover unit 130 of the main body and the inner cover 100 in the main body to supply current to the attachment terminal 110. The attachment terminal 110 is connected to the electric stimulation generating unit by an electric wire (not shown), and includes a seating plate 114 having a concave groove 112 formed at the inner center thereof. (See FIG. 4) The coupling protrusions 312 and 314 of the electrode patch 300 having the hydrogel layer 302 in direct contact with the skin are seated and coupled to the mounting plate. The structure of the electrode patch 300 and the attachment terminal 110 will be described later.

The transcranial direct current stimulator 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention can appropriately respond to all of the user's various head curvatures. To this end, the inner cover 100 is made of non-conductive flexible silicon, but is not limited thereto. Accordingly, when an external force acts from the outside, the inner cover 100 serves to buffer the inner cover 100 so that the inner cover 100 is partially depressed according to the curve of the user's skin. In addition, when the external force is removed, the inner cover 100 may be restored to its original shape by its own elastic force.

A protruding terminal including a protrusion 312 formed to correspond to the groove 112 of the attachment terminal 110 is formed on one side of the electrode patch 300 to be detachably coupled to the attachment terminal 110. The attachment terminal 110 includes a magnet and an electrode patch including a metal or magnetic coupling portion may be mounted in a magnetic coupling manner, and accordingly, the electrode patch 300 can receive current from the attachment terminal 110. have. The electrode patch 300 may receive current from the attachment terminal 110 and apply electrical stimulation to the user.

The electrode patch 300 has a sheet shape of a square cross section and is made of a material that can be deformed, but is not limited to a square sheet, and may be a circular or other shape sheet. When combined with the body, one side of the electrode patch 300 in contact with the body is made of a nonwoven fabric 301, and a part of the nonwoven fabric 301, preferably a conductive protruding terminal is bonded to the center, and a hydrogel layer 302 on the other side. Is bonded to the skin. It is preferable that one surface of the electrode patch 300 on which the hydrogel layer 302 is applied is in contact with the user's skin. When the patch 300 is coupled to the body, the degree of freedom that can be deformed according to the user's head is increased, and due to its flexible feature, it is easy to deform, so that the patch 300 can be helped to adhere to the skin.

On the other hand, the skin consists of a composition other than the keratin with a relatively high impedance and the keratin with a relatively low impedance.Since the current easily flows along a composition other than the keratin with a relatively low impedance, the current is concentrated in a certain area. Can flow. However, according to the electrode patch 300 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the hydrogel layer 302 of the patch may reduce the influence of the difference in impedance between the keratin and the components other than the keratin, so that part of the skin A current concentration may be prevented from flowing through the electrode patch 300, and a current density may be formed evenly in the entire area of the skin in contact with the electrode patch 300. Therefore, it is possible to stably apply electrical stimulation through the electrode patch 300.

Additionally, the transcranial DC stimulator 1 includes a charging unit 140, and the inner cover 100 may have a hole formed so that the charging unit 140 is exposed. The charging unit 140 is located inside the main body and supplies power to the transcranial DC stimulator 1. Since the transcranial DC stimulator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention drives the transcranial DC stimulator 1 using the power of a battery attached to the main body, it can be operated as a standalone type without connection with other devices. Accordingly, the user can freely perform activities even when wearing the transcranial DC stimulator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is an exploded perspective view of a transcranial DC stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4, the transcranial DC stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an outer cover 131, an inner cover 132, a holder 120, an inner cover 100, an attachment terminal 110, an electrode patch ( 300), including a fixing strip (20). The cover portion of the transcranial DC stimulator 1 is composed of an inner cover 132 and an outer cover 131, and the inner cover 132 may be coupled to be covered by the outer cover 131. The outer cover 131 may display the operating state of the transcranial DC stimulator 1 and/or may be used as a design element, but is not limited thereto. In the space between the outer cover 131 and the inner cover 132, a light emitting structure or color conversion element, for example, a laser diode (LD), LED and/or OLED components may be provided, and the outer cover 131 Can be used to protect the light emitting structure or color conversion element.

The inner cover 132 is coupled to the holder 120, and the battery unit and the electrical stimulation generating unit may be accommodated in the space between the inner cover 132 and the holder 120. The inner cover 132 is formed by screwing the holder 120. A plurality of fixing protrusions may be formed on one surface of the inner cover 132 and may protrude along the holder 120 direction.

The holder 120 may be formed by bending at a certain angle, and a PCB mounting portion may be formed in the center. In addition, the holder 120 may include one or more holes, and the PCB cable may pass through the holes to supply current to the attachment terminal 110.

The inner cover 100 may be configured to surround the holder 120 on the inner surface of the body. The inner cover 100 is formed of a non-conductive material so that when the transcranial DC stimulator 1 is used, the body may insulate a region in which the body can contact the user's skin except for the region where the current patch 300 is in contact. Accordingly, the user can safely use the transcranial DC stimulator (1). Meanwhile, one or more through holes are formed in the inner cover 100 so that the attachment terminal 110 can be fitted. It is preferable that the through holes are formed according to the number of electrode patches, and when there are two electrode patches, they are formed in two.

The mounting terminal 110, which is fitted into the through hole of the inner cover 100, is composed of a mounting plate 114 having a groove 112 and two legs of conductive material extending downward from the mounting plate 114. Includes the government (116). The fixing part 116 is flexible and can be bent outward when assembling, thereby being fixed to the inner cover 100, and at the same time, it is connected to the electrical stimulation generating part (PCB) and an electric wire (not shown) to receive an electrode patch. Can be delivered to 300. That is, the fixing part functions as an electrical connection part from the electrical stimulation generating part and physical fixing to the inner cover.

The electrode patch 300 may be magnetically coupled with the attachment terminal 110 to receive current from the attachment terminal 110. In addition, when the transcranial DC stimulator 1 is worn on the user's head, the inner cover 100 and the electrode patch 300 are elastically deformed according to the curvature of the scalp so that the main body can be in close contact with the user's forehead. At this time, the lifting of the electrode patch 300 from the scalp is reduced by the elastic force of the inner cover 100 and the electrode patch 300, so that the contact area between the user's scalp and the electrode patch 300 increases, and the electrode patch 300 The density of the current generated in the device becomes uniform. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent local current from flowing to a specific location of the user's skin during electrical stimulation, and to stably apply electrical stimulation.

5 is a cross-sectional view of a transcranial DC stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, a light emitting structure or color conversion element may be accommodated in a space between the outer cover 131 and the inner cover 132, and a battery part is in the housing space between the inner cover 132 and the holder 120. 126 and the electrical stimulation generating unit 124 may be accommodated. A fixing protrusion 133 is formed on one surface of the inner cover 132 so that the battery unit 126 may be seated and fixed. In the drawings of the present specification, a grid-like protrusion is shown as a fixed protrusion, but is not limited thereto, and may be replaced with a protrusion of various shapes such as a straight protrusion, a rectangular protrusion, a honeycomb protrusion, a spike-shaped protrusion, and a spiral protrusion. In addition, a PCB mounting portion is formed in the holder 120 so that the electrical stimulation generating portion 124 may be mounted and fixed.

The transcranial direct current stimulator according to an embodiment of the present invention having the above structure is capable of responding to various types of heads of a user, stably maintaining close contact between the skin and the electrode patch of the electric stimulator, and at the same time has excellent ease of use. Furthermore, the assembly of the attachment terminal and the inner cover is easy to reduce manufacturing cost.

1 Transcranial DC Stimulator
10 main body
20 fixing strip
21 Fastening part
100 inner cover
110 Attachment terminal
112 home
114 Seating plate
116 Fixed part
120 holder
124 Electrical stimulation generation unit (PCB)
126 Battery section
130 Cover part
131 outer cover
132 inner cover
133 Fixed protrusion
140 live parts
150 switch
300 electrode patch
301 nonwoven
302 hydrogel layer
312 Stone
314 protruding terminal

Claims (6)

It is a transcranial DC stimulator to give electrical stimulation by wearing it on the user's head,
An electric current generator;
A band-shaped body curved to contact the user's forehead; And
Including; fixing bands coupled to both sides of the main body,
The main body,
holder,
A cover part coupled to one side of the holder to form a housing for holding an electrical stimulation generating part therein together with the holder, and
The other side of the holder includes an inner cover that is coupled to surround the holder and contacts the user's skin when the transcranial DC stimulator is worn,
The inner cover is made of a foam made of a non-conductive material, and is deformable in response to a human body flexion when the transcranial DC stimulator is worn, and a transcranial, characterized in that it includes an attachment terminal for attaching and detaching the electrode patch. DC stimulator.
The method of claim 1,
A transcranial DC stimulator, characterized in that a through hole is formed in the inner cover, the attachment terminal is fixedly coupled to the through hole, and the electrode patch is physically and electrically connected to the attachment terminal.
The method of claim 2,
The attachment terminal fitted into the through hole,
A mounting plate having a groove, and a fixing part made of two conductive material legs extending downward from the mounting plate,
The fixed part is flexible and can be bent outward when assembling, so that it is fixed to the inner cover and is connected to the electric stimulation generating part by electric wires.
In the electric stimulator for giving electric stimulation by wearing it on the user's head,
Electric stimulation generating unit;
A band-shaped body curved to contact the user's forehead; And
Including; adjustable length fixing straps coupled to both sides of the main body,
The main body,
holder,
A cover part coupled to one side of the holder to form a housing for holding an electrical stimulation generating part therein together with the holder, and
The other side of the holder includes an inner cover coupled to surround the holder and contacting the user's skin when the electric stimulator is worn,
The inner cover is made of a foam made of a non-conductive material, and is deformable in response to a human body flexion when the electric stimulator is worn, and an electric stimulator comprising an attachment terminal for attaching and detaching the electrode patch.
delete delete

Images